How to Prepare and Store Baby Food

Do you think you’re too busy to make your own baby food? Homemade baby food is as easy to prepare as counting to 1, 2, 3. Besides, by making the baby food yourself you ensure that the ingredients are all natural and fresh and that the food is stored properly. Here’s how to prepare food for the baby directly at home!

Choose fresh ingredients

Start with foods consisting of a single ingredient base, such as carrots, potatoes, broccoli, etc to make sure that there is no risk of allergies. Remove any hard shell or seeds that could be hard to swallow by your baby. It’s crucial to ensure that the vegetables and fruits are as fresh as possible.

Cook and puree food

Place the fresh vegetables in a boiling pot and boil until it reaches a very soft consistency. If you choose to use a steamer most nutrients will be preserved by steam. Most fruits and vegetables can also be cooked until soft. After cooking, mash, mix or process food until it reaches a good consistency.

Serve and store the rest

Serve a small amount immediately and the rest store it away. Home cooked food can be safely stored in the refrigerator for three days or in the freezer for two months. Make sure the food has the correct texture. Mainly because you will use mostly the freezer to store food, consider opting for a refrigerator that has a top freezer because this way it will be easier to store baby food and remove food items with no kind of effort. You can also take a look at some side by side refrigerator ratings, since side by side fridges are even easier to access. When reading side by side refrigerator ratings, make sure to look for a fridge with innovative vegetable drawers which allow you to control the temperature and the humidity in order for the vegetables to last longer. This is a useful feature for a busy mum who doesn’t always have the time to go shopping for fresh produce.

Simple Tricks that you can use when preparing baby food

Vegetables such as potatoes, carrots or apples can be boiled, baked or steamed before being pureed. The most appropriate method is steaming because it keeps the nutritional values of food.

Well cooked chicken can be cut very finely by using a blender or a food processor.

If you have prepared a cream soup or juice it would be recommended to use a strainer to make sure you remove all the seeds and peels that can go unnoticeable.

Some fruits, such as avocados or bananas, do not need boiling or steaming before pureeing them.

Freshly cooked food can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. Use small containers to make small portions suitable for a single meal.

Consider opting for organic products or buy from farmers that sell fresh produce in the market. Moreover, you can also start an indoor veggie garden if you have all the resources needed.